Page 11 of Unrivaled
“I’m meeting Kaelson, Bernadette, and Ettie in the kitchens to break our fast,” she said.
“Coming.”I settled my sword belt over top of my tabard and scooped up the shield on the way out the door.The weight of it reminded me of that brilliant smile she’d met me with, though it had faded to leave a quiet contentment as I fell into step beside her.On her right walked Isolde.They both moved with the measured grace of women with formal training and the heart of a predator.Through the big, open arches the sun felt warm, though the wind still held the bite of snow.Thomas walked behind us, and I cared not a whit if he felt excluded.
* * *
“We’re going to be moving about more,” Audrey said as she rejoined us after the meeting dispersed.“Brian is taking over cataloguing and leaving us to oversee.”
“What’s Brian’s story?”I asked her, frowning.
“He’s a legal advisor for EACo,” she told me, falling into step with me as we left the kitchens.“His partner is Xander Turnbulle.”At my blank look, she smiled.“Of Turnbulle Trading Company?Wainwrights?”
It clicked, then, the name I’d seen stamped on every cart ever crafted.“He’d be worth a pretty penny,” I acknowledged, wondering exactlyhowwealthy the man who’d taken over from Audrey last night must be.He’d buy and sell me a time or two, I had no doubt of that.
“Xander is a distant cousin oftheTurnbulles,” she said, reaching out to rest her fingertips on my arm to steer us around some people approaching with barrels on their shoulders.“And he isn’t employed within the business, but it does seem rather like a choice to not work.”Which meant money.I pretended I didn’t see the people glancing at her hand on my elbow but gently eased away.She didn’t appear to notice, her eyes bright in a familiar way.“Kaelson says Brian is in it for the puzzle.And also he likes what we’re doing, because he’s had people sniffing around his place.He’s donated everything he has and moved into the castle.”
“Sounds like a useful man,” I offered.
“I think he really might be,” she agreed.“Kaelson suggested he join the core group so we’ve got representation from all levels of the city.”
I was pretty sure there was a middle layer or two she was missing, but mayhap Kaelson had more social standing than I thought before the plague.Regardless, Ihadbeen wondering how they’d go with four.“A tiebreaker on votes would be good.”
“Exactly.But anyway, we’ll see how he does.”She let out a long sigh.“I’m glad I don’t have to do it all.He’ll probably go when it thaws to join Xander in Ltona, but until then, I hope to learn what I can.”
We went and met up with said rich bastard, who had a bound book with columns, a weight scale, and a measuring string before him.He barely glanced down as he wrote neat figures in the columns.Thomas and I stayed back while Isolde and Audrey approached the distressed widow whose son’s belongings were being weighed and measured.
The desperate edge of yesterday was gone, and by early afternoon we’d returned to our tower.
“I’m going to go check on Allison,” Isolde said, as we approached the big, familiar doors.“She’s surrounded by a handful of men who want to be stewards.And you were interested in that magework quill.”She snapped her fingers at Thomas.“You ought to go assist Kaelson.Since you aren’t needed here.”
I hated the guilty look that flitted over Audrey’s face.But not enough to offer to go in Thomas’ place.
He eased open the tower door, holding it for Audrey.“Is this your wish, my lady?”he asked, stiffly.
“It would be useful,” she acknowledged, stepping inside.“If you’ve the energy.”
“As long as the door is guarded, my lady,” he agreed, without so much as a glance at me.
Isolde rolled her eyes.I didn’t linger to listen to whatever she struck back with, following Audrey.
“I’ll be back by the fourth hour,” Isolde called.“Rest!”
Audrey’s expression was worried as I closed the door behind us.“She knows, doesn’t she?”
My mind skipped back to the bathhouse, when Audrey had been sleeping in my arms, and Isolde had appeared like a blood magic apparition before me.“Youdidwake up in my bed this morning,” I reminded her.“Were you hoping to keep our relationship a secret?”
Color crept into her cheeks.“No.I just…”
I followed her out of the bottleneck entry chamber, where rooms fanned out either side of the heavy, steel-boned door, and shut it firmly behind us.Two levels of protection.My lady’s tower was a lovely, defensible prison.
I would’ve been happy to withstand a siege with her in here.
Assuming she couldn’t find the words for whatever it was, I followed her up the stairs to the level where she slept, pushing away the thoughts of how much we could do in the hours we’d be alone.
When the woman in front of me cast those whiskey-brown eyes back in my direction, it became difficult to be responsible.“Isolde told you to rest,” I reminded Audrey.
“She thought we kept each other up all night,” she said, unlacing the sensible dress that concealed the strength in her tall frame.
Anticipation beat in my blood.“I’d never.”
